Mushroom season is about to begin. Save this recipe now, it will be a hit with your meals.
The secret ingredient for the perfect chanterelle sauce is found in every kitchen – it’s actually coffee. It may sound strange, but it really works! The full recipe is at the end of the article. But why does coffee make chanterelle sausage so tasty?
Coffee can improve chanterelle sauce both chemically and taste-wise. In particular, when roasted, coffee has an aromatic complexity with earthy, woody, nutty and sometimes even caramelized notes. These flavors can complement and enhance the naturally earthy and woody taste of chanterelles. Additionally, coffee contains compounds that can add a sensation of umami, the fifth fundamental flavor that can be described as “savory,” to a dish. This umami sensation can enhance the overall flavor of a dish.
Also, coffee can introduce a slight bitterness to the sauce, which, when properly balanced, provides a nice contrast to the sweetness and richness of other sauce ingredients, such as fresh cream and honey. The compounds found in coffee can also help accentuate and intensify the flavors of other ingredients. In the case of the chanterelle sauce, the coffee can bring out the flavor of the mushrooms and other components of the sauce. Beyond taste, coffee can also add a deeper color to the sauce, making it visually more appealing.
Finally, coffee astringency, that dry feeling sometimes felt after drinking coffee or red wine, can balance out the richness and fatness of the cream and butter in the sauce. It is crucial to measure the quantity of coffee used correctly. Too much can overpower the taste, while a little will provide just the nuance needed to enhance the dish without overwhelming it.
Ingredients:
- 400 g of fresh chanterelles
- 1 tablespoon of coffee
- 50g butter
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 tablespoons of chanterelle stock
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (or white balsamic vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- ½ bunch of fresh thyme
- 200 ml fresh cream
- Salt according to your taste
How to prepare it:
1. Rinse the fresh chanterelles and dry them gently with a cloth or absorbent paper. If necessary, cut larger chanterelles into smaller pieces.
2. Heat a dry frying pan and sauté the chanterelles for a moment to remove excess water. Then add the hot coffee to the pan and let it simmer for a while. Let all the liquid evaporate from the pan.
3. Add a knob of butter to the pan and fry the mushrooms until golden brown.
4. Peel and crush the garlic clove, then add it to the cooking mushrooms. Brown the garlic for a few minutes with the mushrooms.
5. Mix the chanterelle stock, white wine vinegar and honey in the pan. Make sure the ingredients are well mixed.
6. Chop the fresh thyme and add it to the mushroom-coffee sauce.
7. Pour the crème fraîche into the pan and bring the sauce to a boil over medium heat until it reaches the desired thickness.
8. Season the mushroom sauce with salt to taste.
9. Serve this delicious sauce with fish, for example, or incorporate it into pasta.